INDIAN SHOOTING 283 



of the barasingh. Hodgson's description of the horns is most 

 accurate, the flatness of the brow antlers is very marked, 

 ' pedicles elevate ; burrs rather small ; two basal antlers, nearly 

 straight, so forward in direction as to overshadow the face to 

 the end of the nasal ; larger than the royal antlers ; median or 

 royal antlers directed forwards and upwards ; beam with a ter- 

 minal fork, the prongs radiating laterally and equally, the inner 

 one longest and thinnest.' There is an enormous head in the 

 British Museum, the two brow antlers of which bend down- 

 wards on each side. As in the case of the barasingh, the second 

 brow antler, or bez, is always longer than the first. 



As regards the allied maral stag of Persia and Turkestan, 

 Major Cumberland, in his letters published by ' Land and 

 Water,' 1891, writes that the Turkestan name for the stag is 

 ' boghe,' the hind being called ' maral.' This deer resembles 

 the red stag, in that the brow antler is longer than the bez, and 

 the crown is more of the wapiti type. 



Another variety, with horns also of the wapiti type, Cervus 

 Eustephanus, was discovered by Mr. W. Blanford in the Thian 

 Shan mountains. He describes this variety as also having the 

 brow antler longer than the bez. 



XXIX. MUSK DEER (Moschus moschiferus) 



Generally ' Kasttira ' ; Garwhal and Kumaon, ' BenaJ ' Masaknaba ' ; 

 Cashmere, ' J?oos,' ' Pous ' 



This little deer is found all over the hills above an altitude 

 of 7,000 or 8,000 ft., except in Ladak, though it is said to be 

 plentiful in Thibet, beyond the frontier of Nepal. 



Cover of some sort, bushes or timber, seems necessary for 

 it, and the want of this is probably the reason it does not 

 extend to Ladak. Except that district, every shooting ground 

 of the right elevation seems to hold musk deer ; and as, particu- 

 larly in the autumn, they are excellent eating, a chance with a 

 light rifle is well worth taking advantage of, unless in too close 

 proximity to better game. The musk deer has no horns, but 



